The rest of the story.....#18407

With apologies to Paul Harvey, here's 'the rest of the story'.....The morning had been so smooth I should have known troubled waters lie ahead. Bill hands me the phone book and indicates the closest 2 or 3 U-haul's and I get to dialin'. Seven or eight miles and 25 minutes later I'm there. He tells me to just go back and the boy would hook me up, do the paperwork when your done. OK. Drive to the back only to be informed "I can't hook that up to your bumper, rules and such." Now never mind U-haul had put the ball on, and I towed one of their trailers before! How much for a receiver hitch, and more importantly do you have one in stock for my Tundra? Sure we do, let me collect your money please. Open wallet, extract card, done deal. Oh, how long to install? Our installer is out today you'll have to take it to another location for the certified installer to do the install. Trying to remember this is a HAPPYDAY, I kept my cool and said: "toss me the hitch and I'll be back later for the car hauler" The guy goes in the back and starts digging, with no luck. The computer said it was there, it wasn't. OK. Send girl over across town they have it back in an hour, so, I go to lunch and fume. Girl's back, I grab it and off I go to the other facility, six miles away. The guys are just finishing a RAM, so they  get to it right away. Great job, included some needed wiring, an hour and a half later I'm paid and on my way bak to get the trailer. Arrive late afternoon with the obvious stormclouds brewing. THEY DIDN'T SAVE MY CAR HAULER! I just stood there with this look of disbelief. He and the 'boy' then proceeded to 'fix the lights and such" on a very tired car hauler. As I looked skyward, at what appeared to be an ocean of fresh water approaching, I relented. Hook up, go to pay for bill.....the other U-Haul clerk didn't return my credit card. Pay with other card. call to confirm where card is?!? "Yes, it's there? I'll be right over" Trailer and fast beating heart in tow off I go to rescue my card. Done. Back to Bill's, it's now after 5:00 pm. Bill's waiting with a box of spare parts, manuals, a regular 'Hope Chest' full of stuff. We say are goodbys, me to him, He to his Willys. Sadness and joy are strange bedfellows. The storm seems to have moved somewhat South as I ease the strapped down tight but entirely exposed Willys North on I10 towards Phoenix and home. Drops here and there greet me 20 miles down the road. Even though the speed limit is 75, everyone gives wide lane changes and smiles, and I'm only going 50! Almost an hour passes and it just gets darker and darker. I'm just a minute or two from Eloy when everything on a car top holder  deposits itself on the freeway to the mercy of the wind and following cars and trucks. Not pretty. I pull off to wait it out and go to the nearest gas station with an overhang. Pull in, lights and power go out as far as I can see. Oh well. The Heavens open their floodgates and the lightshow was something to see. As usual it's a brief preformance and an hour or so later the rain had slowed to an occational drop. I pulled out of the darkness and headed North again slowly picking my way passed stalled cars on the way. I didn't wait long enough or the storm had stalled out up ahead,anyway, I had my face up to the windshield trying to stay between the white lines.......Mine anyway! I figure the Willys must have got at least a three inch Baptism that night as I wasn't going to pull off onto the shoulder for anything! I arrive at the casa at 9:45pm only to realize our power is out in the whole area. So it rained and rained and rained some more and all I could do is throw the cover on and hope for morning light and dry skys. Tomorrow came. Strength and sanity restored (even the power came back on) I climbed in and fired it up, drove off the carrier and back on solid ground. I got out to go for towels and I swear out of the corner of my eye I saw it shake like a dog.....Even the plug wells were level with water, I just wiped everything down that I could reach, took It and the dog for a five mile local run and all was well except for two slightly fogged gauges. Into the "barn" for more wipedown and air conditioning to remove any more moisture. All is well. Home at last. It was "THE ONE"  Thanks for your time,   ps: Mike Gardner has pics up at his www site. Page two under: 'Random CJ'S'. It's the white one on pgs 2-3.

 

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Edited by WILLYS10X

When we arrived at the Jeep, the seller told us he had changed his mind after we had already driven three hours total to see it, get the money, get the hauler, and come back. After much groveling and supernatural intervention ( I am convinced he saw the light and God told him I needed my Jeep), we got back on the road with just enough time to spare to get my husband back home for a business meeting. Literally, I pulled up in front of the county courthouse, Willys in tow, he jumps out, and I take our baby home alone. My father in law helps me unload it and at last I exhale... Now that I have the title in our names I can really relax!